Floor rack for refrigerator cars



Jan. 30, 1940. c D. BONSALL 2,138,852

FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Original Filed March 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V I y 9 %War/765@ Jan. 30, 1940. c. D. BONSALL FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS V Original Filed March 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 im/enian- Char/65050250# Patented Jan. 30, 1940- e V AI885852 m y 2,1 s8,s52

FLOOR BACK FOR REFRIGERATOR. CARS Charles David Bonsall, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigno' to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing ComanmChidsago,` Ill. 'a corporation of Dela- 'ware Original ,application atch" 3, 1938, *Serial No. 93,742.. Divided and this application May 25,

1939, Serial No. 275,657

' :6 Claims. i (o. -375 The invention relates to insulated refrigerator -carsused to transport perishable commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, berries meats, eggs, frozen fish', etc., and to maintain such commoditieswhile in transit within a predetermined `jrange` of temperature, thus necessitating the use of a cooling means in the summer and a heating means in the, winter. ,It has been found i that perish'able commodities which have not been allowedto get too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake havea high market 'value because they "have a longer storage life. e

The object of the invention is to provide a ifloorv rack fora refrigerator car which is very strong to-support vertical loads and has great strength in a horizontal direction (to resist the tendency of a shifting load to move-the floor rack sidewise) without materially retarding the flow, of air 'below the 'floor rack or..materially reducing': the amount of floor rack.

` 'I n the drawings: i V

Fig's,g1'and 2 are longitudinal and transverse sections respectivelyof a re frigerator car showing the correlation of mydevice tothe' other elements of a car.'

' i Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved ;floor rack. 4 y n Fig. 4 is a section on 1ineA-e4 of lFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a `perspective view of a' modification of my floor' rack.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 1--1 of Fig. 6.`

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a. perspective view of a modification of' my floor rack. v i

Fig. 10 is a section on line o n of Fig; 9.

Fig. 11 is a section on line [lv-ll of Fig. 9. In the form of my invention illustrated the refrigerator car is provided with a bulkhead 2 separating the refrigerant chamber 3 from the lading comp'artment 4. The bulkhead 2 is provided with an aperture 5 adjacent the floor 6 V of the car and an aperture 'I adjacent the ceiling 8 of'the car with a solid'wall 9 therebetween,

A refrigerant is supported by the` grates lil` air flow through the the flues" sm through the flue space s and the aperturel'l in the floor rack !5, and as the air is warmed by the lading, it rises andpasses through the bulkhead upper opening 'I and thence through the flues l3-l4, and being cooled by the refrigerant, repeats the convection cycle.

As shown in ,Figs 3, 4 and 5, my improved floor rack comprises a foraminous floor 20 supprovide the plurality of spaces or' flues I 6 between the foraminous floor 20 and the insulated or ,main floor. 6 which communicate withthe flues 3 4 in the refrigerant chamber.

Each stringer 2! preierably is made of a" metallic -plate pressed to form a channel shaped `member comprising spacedrapart walls 24 con- ;from spreading'. The walls are preferably provided with apertures 21 for air` circulation. The

ported upon the' insulated or main floor 6 ofvthe e car by a plurality of parallel stringers 2lv ,to

spaces 28 between the walls zdalsoprovide flues which communicate with the flues l3-l4.`

The foraminous floor 20 comprises a continu- The preferably extend from one beam 3| to `adjaoent another beam 3l, said beams 31 are preferably formed with a vertical web 33, an upper horizontal flange 34 and a lower horizontal flange 35 and rest upon'and aresecured to a plurality of preferably similar beams 36 arranged transversely to said upper beams 3 I. The lower beams 36 rest upon and are secured to the stringers The distance between the upper beams 3| is less than the distance between the beams 36 and the distance between the beams" 36 is less than the distance between the stringers-2|.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 'show a modification of my invention in which the foraminous floor comprises a continuous perforated metallic plate 50 supportedon and secured to a plurality of beams 5l extending between the stringers 52. The plate Enis provided with a plurality of integrally formed ,rib -like depressions 53 extending transversely 'to the beams 5l,` the purpose being to stiffen' the plate over the spari between said beams. The apertures 58 in the plate 50 are preferably formed with depending peripherical flanges to st'engthen the plate 50 between the beams I.

- These fianges preferably extend from one beam 5I to adjacent another beam 51. The beams 5! are offset to provide depressions 51 for seating the strengthening ribs 53. The beams 5! are preferably` formed withavertical web 54, a horizontal fiange 55 for securing, by welding or riveting,` to the plate 50, and a horizontal flange 56 for securing to the stringer 52. t

In the modification shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, the foraminous floor l 'compris es-a plurality of metallic panels 10 with the rmargins, of each panel preferably downwardly offset as'at 'll and underlying a margin' of an adjacent panel and' secured thereto by welding. The underlyingl margins of some of said panelsare formedwith fianges 12 and preferablywith reflanges 73. A

plurality of beams 'M exten'd transversely to andare supported by the stringers 15. The flanges 12 may be secured to the beams 14 by any means", such as, bywelding the reanges 13. The apertures' e'a e preferably provided with depending peripheral flanges ?T which extend substantiallybetween the fianges 'IZ'to stiffen the foraminous 'floor !5.7 v

The -drawings illustrate the floor rack supported on channel-shaped stringers made of a me-` tallic p'iate. Other types of stringers, such as, for example, ood, may be used in their place.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is' toi be" understood that the invention is not limitdto the exact detailsof Construction shown and,` described', as it is obvious that various modifica tions therof, within the scope' of the' claims, will occur to persons skilled inthe art. I

I'his is a division of my application Serial No. 1933142 filed Mar'ch 3, 1938.

I claim: v e

1. In a refrigerator car a' rack for providing' a space between a lading and the floor of the car and means to induce an air 'current in said aeaase space, said rack comprising a plurality of spaced apart stringers resting upon the floor of the car and supporting a plurality of spaced apart beams extending normally to said, stringers and a foraminous mta'llic sheet supported by said beams,

said sheetcomprising a'pluralityof panels, each` panel having a dependingmarginal'ifiange which is supported on said beams, the margin of each' panel opposite said fiange being Secured to the i -adjacent panel near the flange thereof.

3. In a refrigerator car a rack for providing' a space between a lading and the 'floor of the car and means to induce an air'current in said,

space, said rack comprising a plurality of spaced e apart stringers resting upon' the floor of .the car andsupporting a p lurality of spacedapartbeams 'extendinggnormallyto said stri'ngersga metallic i sheetsupported bygsaid beams and providedwith a 'plurality .of stiffeners extending normally to said' beams and. a plurality of apertures having depending peripherical `flanges,which f u-ction as:

beams between s'aid stiffeners. 'f

4 4. In a refrigerator car, a. rack for providing@ i space between a lading and thefloor' of thelpar and means' to' induce an air currenti'nfsaid' sp de said rack comprising a pluralityof 'spacedlapartstringers resting upon the floor of `the carand supportinga pluralityj of spaced apart beamsex r t'ending normally to, said' 'st"inger's,. said beans supporting 'a plurality of spacedapart beans extehd'ing, parallel t'o the stringer's, and fo- 5 raminous sheet supported byjthe 'la-st named.

main floor, a foraminousfioor ai plurality of, par: allel stringers supporting the "foraminou's floor above the insulated floor to provide a plurality of par'a'llel flues between saidfifloors means to g inducei an air current' in saidflues, and. a plup i `V 'ralityof spacedgapart .beam's extendirig' between and Secured to said stringers; said'foraminus 5. Ina .refrigeratorcar, the combinationoffa floor comprising a plurality ofperforatedmetai-a lic panelslwith a marginof each panejl underlying a' ma -'gin of an adj'a'cent panel and Securedtic'e'rey-` to', the underlying margin 'of each pane] formed which rests upon and issecured to'said beams. 6. A structure as defined. in' claim 1, Wherein said stiffeners vcomprise a plurality ofbeamsse cured to said sheet.

CHARLLES D'Av''j omm. v g

with a flange extending parallel to said strngers 7 

